Brunswick comeback falls short at Kent

David Fierro, Staff Writer

Published 9:25 pm, Saturday, October 9, 2010

KENT -- Brunswick School quarterback Todd Stafford put his head down and bulled his way toward the end zone on a crucial fourth-and-goal play from the Kent School 2-yard line. The Bruins' sophomore signal caller seemed like he reached the end zone, giving his team a touchdown that would have cut the Lions' 13-point third quarter lead in half.

Yet after a moment of deliberation, the officials ruled that Stafford was stopped just short of the goal line, and just like that, the Bruins' comeback fell short.

Showing grit and determination, Brunswick was able to make it interesting after facing a 20-point halftime deficit, but host Kent School's big first half was enough to secure a 32-20 victory.

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With the Erickson League win, the Lions raised their record to a perfect 3-0. The Bruins, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of their 2010 season. However, their were several bright spots in the defeat, one of which was the Bruins' ability to hold Kent to six points in the second half.

"We had a deal with the defense at halftime," said Brunswick coach Jarrett Shine, whose Bruins dropped to 0-3 on the season. "We said that we weren't going to let them score in the second half, and other than that late touchdown, they got we shut them down in the second half."

Stafford completed 22-of-42 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to junior wide receiver Donqutae Robinson.

"I think we're really improving offensively," Stafford said. "I'm building up a good relationship with the receivers."

Kent seized a seemingly comfortable 26-6 advantage after senior quarterback Jason Lassister threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Damien Scannella with 52 seconds remaining in the second quarter. But the Bruins were the fired up team during the second half. After the Lions went three-and-out on their first possession of the third quarter, Brunswick drove 59 yards in six plays to make it a two-score game.

Senior wide receiver Jeff Jay capped the drive, catching a 16-yard scoring strike from Stafford with 8:31 left in the third quarter. Senior Alex Marcus converted the point-after attempt, bringing the Bruins to within 26-13, The Lions, who moved the first down chains during the opening half, went three-and-out on their next two possessions, giving the visitors a chance to come back.

Keyed by Stafford's 31-yard pass to Jay, the Bruins marched from their 22-yard line to the Kent 2. Junior tailback Darrick Ridenhour's two-yard run put the ball on the Kent 2-yard line, setting up the all-important fourth down play. Stafford kept his legs moving on the quarterback keeper and it appeared that he may have crossed the goal line. But the officials thought otherwise.

"I looked down and saw my foot over the goal line," Stafford said. "If we scored there and then stopped them on their next drive who knows what could have happened."

Brunswick forced the Lions to punt on their next possession, as senior linebackers Sammy Macfarlane and Ernie Rosato were able to slow down tailback Fajri Jackson. The home team padded its lead in the fourth quarter however, after starting its drive on the Brunswick 31 following a 15-yard punt return. Jason Barnes' 10-yard run up the middle put the Bruins in a 32-13 hole midway through the final quarter.

The speedy Robinson scored the last touchdown of the game, reaching the end zone on an impressive 38-yard catch and run with 3:40 left in the game.

Robinson put the Bruins ahead 6-0, scoring on a 52-yard pass off a fade pattern 1:22 into the first quarter.

"I was watching the cornerback, he was playing up on me, so I was able to make a move to get by him," Robinson said. "Todd did a great job of getting the ball to me and our line was blocking real good for him."

Brunswick's defense had trouble getting off the field in the first half, as the Lions converted several

key third downs en route to scoring on their first three possessions. Jackson's 17-yard run put Kent on the scoreboard with 8:35 to go in the opening quarter. The Lions took a 14-6 edge on Lassiter's 20-yard scoring strike to Scannella on a fourth-and-seven play with 1:29 left in the first quarter. Jamal Henry scored on a 5-yard run and Scannella caught his second touchdown pass -- a 14-yard reception from Lassister in the second quarter, giving Kent a 26-6 lead.

The Bruins defense tightened in the second half, limiting the Lions to four first downs.

"The second half we really stepped up," said Jay, who also starts in the Bruins' secondary. "Something seemed to click defensively, and we played with a lot of emotion. Offensively, we did real well too. We made some adjustments and executed."

Said Shine: I definitely feel this is a game that we can build on. Our defense played with a lot of intensity in the second half and was very physical."

NOTES: Marcus and sophomore Sam Fraser each intercepted Jamal in the first half. ... Brunswick junior defensive lineman Carsen Winn recovered a fumble in the third quarter. ... The game began at 3:45 p.m., because several seniors on Brunswick took the SAT exam Saturday and arrived for the game just in time.